Summer Dresses for Under $100

Sundress (similar) || Wedges || Handbag || Earrings || Bracelet

When are right in the middle of another hot Florida summer. Even by time I wake up, it’s creeping towards 100 degrees with almost 100% humidity. As tempting as it is to dress up, the last thing I want to do is spend a fortune on a dress that I’m going to sweat through. I’m constantly on the hunt for budget friendly dresses, but aren’t we all right now. So, I’ve rounded my favorite picks for under $100. No matter what color of the rainbow you’re looking for, I have the whole spectrum covered! Happy shopping!

Pink

Red

Yellow

Green

Blue

Navy

Tan

Black

White

I hope you found a few colorful pieces of inspiration or two. My list for budget shopping seems endless, but I definitely have some frequent haunts. J Crew and H&M always have something that I’m looking for. Which of these summer dresses for under $100 really speaks to you?

Love from Florida,
Katie

Thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.

29 Things to Know About Me

Shirt || Skirt || Sandals ($50 off with code SARAHFLINT-BAKATIE) || Sunglasses || Handbag || Earrings (also)

Last week I celebrated my 29th birthday and, while it’s not a milestone year, I wanted to take a second to let you learn a little bit more about me. I love when bloggers give a behind the scenes look and share interesting facts about themselves. It makes them seem so much more relatable. I can’t believe, in my five years of blogging, I’ve yet to share more about myself. So, without further ado, here are 29 things to know about me for my (belated) 29th birthday.

The Basics

I am born and raised Floridian. Although so many love to call Florida home, actually being from here is rarer than you think. The vast majority of my friends are from elsewhere, but I’d like to think I’m an ideal representative for my home state.

In my 9 to 5 life, I’m an elementary school teacher. Currently, I teach 4th grade, but I’ve worked in every grade from K through 5. While I really love working with kids, I’ve also been exploring a career in social media and copywriting. 

I’ve been married to my husband, David, for two years. He is a software developer and one of the hardest working people I know. I’m unashamed to share that we met on Bumble five years ago. We’re definitely a dating app success story.

I talk to my parents almost every day. They live 45 minutes away in Palm Harbor. It’s a great distance because we can drive for family dinner almost every week, at least before Corona.

I have a younger brother, Andy, who is five years younger than me. He’s a firefighter for Alachua County in Florida. So, if you live in Gainesville, there’s a chance you may just run into him.

We moved back to St. Pete after living in Manhattan for almost two years. Nicknamed the Sunshine City, it’s priming itself to be the next cool American city. I love sharing where I live and hope I can inspire some of you to come to visit!

Even though he doesn’t need an introduction, I am the proud mom to a 90 pound Basset Hound named Tripp. I’ve had him since college and he sometimes feels as demanding as an actual kid. I’m not joking, he will practically yell at me if he wants something. Even though he’s the most stubborn thing you’ll ever find, I love him more than anything.

Food and Drink

This is a controversial statement, but I love pineapple on my pizza. It’s actually my preferred topping. Honestly, you haven’t lived until you’ve tried a bacon and pineapple pizza, my signature. Disclaimer, I just wouldn’t order this in Italy.

While we’re on the subject of food, my favorite is anything from my dad’s kitchen but especially his jambalaya. He comes from a long line of great cooks and everything he makes is simply incredible. I’m nowhere near as talented as him, but I still know my way around the kitchen.

My number one choice in a cocktail is the classic daiquiri, a la Ernest Hemingway. They’re simple, refreshing, and very easy to make. Try one for yourself with this recipe from The Spruce Eats. 

Instead of a birthday cake, every year I have a key lime pie. Not to brag, but I think I’ve mastered this quintessential Floridian dessert and make it at home often.

My coffee order is as simple as you can get… Black. I switch between hot and iced, but it can take me all day to finish either.

I detest mushrooms! While I’m open-minded to try almost anything, the thought of eating mushrooms makes my stomach turn. It’s the taste, the texture, and I have an incredible talent of eating around them at all costs.

My favorite flavor of anything is watermelon. I could easily eat a bag of Sour Patch Watermelon in one sitting.

I use jerk sauce like it’s ketchup. I put a little drizzle on almost everything. Yes, I’ve even tried it over vanilla ice cream. Surprisingly delicious!

Travel

I’ve been to six countries and counting: Italy, Sweden, France, Switzerland, and Bermuda. Before David and I start a family, we want to go to Greece, Ireland, Peru, and wherever else we can get to.

My favorite city in the country is hands down New Orleans. We go at least twice a year, but I’m still able to discover something new. If you get past the bars on Bourbon Street, you can see what a beautiful, historic city it is.

Before I travel abroad, I always brush up on the home language of the country I’m visiting. I have an ear for language and can pick them up pretty quickly. DuoLingo is my app of choice.

I think Lake Como in Italy is the prettiest destination I’ve ever been to. It was our first stop on our honeymoon. We were there for a week, but I could have easily stayed for longer. Sometimes, I like to daydream about having a vacation home there.

David was born and raised in Vermont. His family is all still up there and it gives us a great reason to visit the Green Mountain State. They live next to one of the best ski towns in the country and are just a stone’s throw from Quebec, Canada.

We were supposed to go to Peru in June and were scheduled to go to Ecuador in September, but both have been canceled. As soon as we have the green light, we’ll be rebooking those trips, plus a hopeful trip to Europe at Christmas. 

Odds and Ends

My forever movie is Casablanca. I could watch it every day and never get bored with it. Even though it’s an extremely old one, I’m talking 1942, the story is timeless. 

The monogrammed signet ring that used to belong to my grandma is my most prized possession. My mom wore it for several years and I coveted it daily. On my 27th birthday, right before my wedding, it was finally passed down to me. 

Binge watching 30 Rock on Amazon prime is my guilty pleasure. I’ve seen every episode at least a dozen times but always get a laugh. I also have a weakness for crime shows like Criminal Minds, Law and Order: SVU, and most recently, Hannibal. 

Katie is short for Katherine. I was named after my great-grandma and love to be connected with her, even though we never met. After my wedding, I change my middle name to my maiden name. Now, I’m officially Katherine Coleman Kennedy.

I competitively swam for thirteen years and was actually pretty good! I qualified for Olympic Trials, won several state championships, and was a varsity athlete at Florida State.

I may be the most introverted extrovert out there. I love talking with strangers and meeting new people but hate being the center of attention. 

I’m most productive when listening to Motown music. If David secretly wants me to get chores done around the house, he’ll put on some Sam Cooke or Stevie Wonder.

I’m a hardcore procrastinator but know it’s only because I do my best work, on anything when I’m feeling the pressure of a time crunch. Sadly, it’s the number one quality I wish I could change about myself. 

I think that was 29 things, right? It was oddly hard to come up with a list, but I hope you enjoyed getting to know me a little bit more. I’m an open book and if you have any questions, all you have to do is ask!

Love from Florida,
Katie

Thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.

Our 2nd Wedding Anniversary

July 7th is such an important day to me. For one thing, it’s my beloved grandma’s birthday. We were so close when she was with us and today would have been her 97th. She was my friend, my confidante, and that’s why I was so happy to honor her by getting married on her day. Even though she never met David, I know that she would have simply adored him! On the topic of boys, she always wanted me to find a good Irish man and you can’t get more Irish than Kennedy. With no big plans for this anniversary, I wanted to take the day to share some of my favorite moments from two years ago and give credit to those who made it possible.

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Getting Ready

The big started with my mom and my four bridesmaids getting ready at the historic Vinoy Hotel in St. Pete. Since many fun nights were spent on their front porch, I wanted it to be a part of my day in some way. After all, it’s a St. Pete icon! As we gussied up, we grazed on healthy bites, sipped endless mimosas, and lounged in matching J. Crew nightshirts. They are such a classic style, but adding monograms made for a lovely personally touch.

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The Details

Some of my favorite pictures from our photographer, Cathy Durig, were probably the little details. She did such an amazing job capturing them! Our invitation set came from Minted, but the watercolor design makes it look hand-painted. My Mrs. Box was a gift from my parents, and snuggly held my engagement ring and grandma’s signet ring. She wore it for years and I was so happy for it to be passed down to me. It’s something I will cherish forever.

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Our First Look

Loving to keep up with tradition, I never really was keen on the idea of having a first look. Part of planning a wedding day, though, is staying flexible. It was a jam-packed day and having a first look just seemed to make more sense. I have to admit, it really took away the nerves of the day and I loved having a private moment with David before the ceremony began. Didn’t David look dashing in his suit from Generation Tux?

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The Ceremony

David and I are both Catholic. While we had discussed an outdoor wedding, we quickly agreed that a ceremony at our church would best for us. We had been attending St. Raphael’s in St. Pete for a few years and it couldn’t have been more perfect for the day. We had about 100 guests in attendance, letting it also serve as a final get-together with our loved ones before we moved to New York.

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The Reception

After our ceremony, we took our hired street car to the Museum of Fine Arts in downtown St. Pete. It was my top pick for a reception space because of it’s great location. Sandwiched right between Tampa Bay and buzzing Beach Drive, I knew it was the place when we heard What a Wonderful World playing during our tour. It’s my number one favorite song and what we played during our first dance. I believe in signs and this seemed like a big one.

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Two years day and countless more to go. I’m so thankful to have found the perfect partner, husband, and friend in David. We’re each others biggest fans. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the two of us.

Love from Florida,
Katie

Thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.